#drainus

[diegocambreart]

I continue to expand what started as a "six fan arts"

[dotjade]

Behold, shmup

[ladyirisreviews]

Drainus - Review

I'm very excited to review this, this is the third game of Team Ladybug, a developer team I am quite fond of, they made 2 of the best Metroidvanias out there and it might seem weird that their next game following 2 Metroidvanias was a shoot em up, but if you take a look at their 2 previous games, it does make sense.

Touhou Luna Nights is basically a fangame of the Touhou games, a bullet hell series, and Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth had elements that were heavily inspired by shoot 'em ups, specifically, the element change system, which is similar to how Ikaruga works.

So them making a shoot 'em up seems very logical to me.

Another interesting fact is that this is their first completely original game, both of their previous games were based on an already existing franchise, so that makes this game even more special.

I'll start with a brief summary of the plot.

You follow Irina, a young woman who fights to destroy the evil galactic empire that has control over countless planets, she counts with the help of the incredibly handsome Gehnie, an artificial lifeform sent from the future.

He manages to steal the empire's secret weapon, the Drainus, and contacts Irina so she helps him free the universe from the empire.

The plot is fairly straightforward, but the inclusion of obtainable disks scattered through the levels, that contain conversations between characters on both sides of the conflict, help flesh out the world.

Now, moving out of the plot, because I don't want to spoil too much, let's get into the gameplay.

When you boil it down, it's a very classic shoot 'em up, but it has some features that make it stand out a lot, for starters, the whole draining mechanic.

When you enter draining mode, you drain all energy-based projectiles you come in contact with, and when you exit draining mode or run out of meter, all of the stored energy auto-targets the enemies.

It's very reminiscent of Ikaruga, like how the upgrade system is reminiscent of Gradius, but they add their own, very unique spin to the system.

You start with a basic weapon, and each upgrade item will unlock the next equipment you have equipped, it can be a different laser weapon, a fleet of mini ships with different properties, missiles, or even a stat boost.

You can unlock them with special points you get after defeating enemies, and after purchasing them you can equip them wherever you want.

The equipment level you are currently into is displayed in the top middle by the power-up meter, once you get all of your equipment unlocked, any new upgrade items will charge your bombs.

You can also buy hard upgrades for your Drainus, like unlocking more equipment slots, increasing the draining gauge, and increasing the number of bombs.

The upgrades also work like your life meter, when you get hit you lose your highest upgrade, and if you get hit while you have none at all, you lose a life, which I think is quite friendly for players who aren't that good at shoot 'em ups, like me.

But if you want a greater challenge, there is the option to enable 1-hit kills, making the game way harder.

You can also change the speed of your ship whenever you like, making maneuvering in tight spaces easier.

The actual levels are very dynamic, there's a wide selection of enemies, environments, and transitions that keep the level fresh and fun the whole time.

And as a cherry on top, the bosses are extremely cool.

Most of them have more than one bar of HP, and when it depletes they morph into a completely different machine, the music also aids these encounters greatly.

The whole OST is incredible, really.

These are all the first boss!

The artwork is also incredible, it's in my opinion the best artwork in any of their games to date, it's something to admire.

So in a few words, this game has very tight controls, gameplay, upgrade system, and difficulty customizations, while also counting with an incredible OST and artwork.

So if you like shoot 'em ups, it's a must-play, and even if you don't play a lot of shoot 'em ups, it's a game anybody can enjoy due to its difficulty options, it's just that good.

I can see myself getting lost in doing challenge runs on this game, like I have been doing in Touhou Luna Nights and Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, except on this game it's way easier to determine the rules because of the levels of customization.

I really mean it when I say: Go play this game.

[kayin-junn]

Thinking about Drainus

[fostersffff]

Man, you know a game is really fucking good when you make plans to buy it a second time when it comes to other platforms.

Please check out DRAINUS, the horizontal shooter from Team Ladybug (of Touhou Luna Nights and Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth). I need to sit on it a while longer but I think this is the best horizontal shooter I’ve ever played, with a really excellent array of difficulties and an incredibly fun, overpowered-feeling (but not actually) central gimmick. Currently on Steam, hopefully coming to other stuff eventually!

[satoshi-mochida]

Publisher PLAYISM and developer Team Ladybug will release side-scrolling shoot ’em up DRAINUS for Switch this winter in seven new additional languages, the companies announced.

DRAINUS first launched for PC via Steam on May 22.

The Switch version of DRAINUS will be playable at Tokyo Game Show 2022, which will run from September 15 to 18 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. Users who play the demo will be able to take home an original DRAINUS-themed acrylic keychain.

Get the latest details below.

■ About

This is a side-scrolling shooter in which the player takes control of “Drainus,” a ship that can absorb energy bullets, to take down the countless enemy ships zipping through space. Energy absorbed can be used to enhance the ship’s functions, such as adding new weapons.

■ Story

The Planet Halpax is located in the far reaches of space, suffering from the oppressive rule of the Kharlal Empire. One of the slaves residing there is battling an illness. He must return home to the faraway planet of Earth to be cured of the disease, known as “Planetary Compatibility Disorder.”

His daughter Irina, also a slave, is both devastated by her father’s illness and helpless to do anything about it. At that moment, a humanoid named Ghenie, who looks strangely like a frog, appears and says, “I have come from 30 years in the future. A galactic war is about to break out, in which more than 5000 planets will be annihilated by the Kharlal Empire. I have come to this time period to stop that war and the oppressive rule of the Kharlal Empire. I need your help.”

Why me? What can I do? Irina had no idea what was going on, but her father’s illness was worsening by the minute. With no time to hesitate and nowhere else to turn, she takes Gehnie’s green hand and sets off…

Now she has begun her journey into a universe filled with the armies of the Kharlal Empire, and her quest to reach her distant home planet while taking the Empire down once and for all.

■ Features

The “reflector,” which absorbs enemy bullets, is the most distinctive feature of this game. When activated, it absorbs enemy attacks for a certain period of time. Drainus will counterattack according to the number of attacks absorbed.

Absorbed energy is also stored in a tank, which can be used to enhance various functions of Drainus.

■ Characters

Irina

In order to save her father, Irina takes the “Drainus,” the most advanced fighter of the Kharlal Empire, and sets out for her home planet far away from Earth

Leila

Commander of the Kharlal Empire. Sister of Irina, she joined the Imperial Army as a child.

Gehnie

A humanoid soldier who came from the future to prevent the oppression of the Kharlal Empire and galactic war.

Izumo

General of the Kharlal Empire. A wicked but very capable soldier who holds full authority over the imperial army.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Switch Announce Trailer

English

Japanese

[vintagewarhol]

[universo-nintendo]

¿Te llama la atención DRAINUS, el nuevo shoot 'em up de Team Ladybug, pero lo quieres en formato físico? Pues esta opción está disponible al importarlo desde Japón :3.